


Pearl's Favorite Tree

by Kizzy



Category: Steven Universe - Fandom
Genre: Character Development, F/F, Fluff, Romance, Swords, Tree death, Tree growth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-11 15:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5632111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kizzy/pseuds/Kizzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why does Pearl even have a favorite tree? This story imagines a past interaction she had with Rose Quartz that made this tree very special to her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pearl's Favorite Tree

Pearl stood at the apex of the hill, surveying the land around her. Hundreds of yards away, she could see that the trees had begun their curious tendency to change the color of their leaves. It seemed that they did so about once per solar cycle, and always just before all the leaves fell off anyway.

  
“What a strange biological expenditure,” she murmured, crossing her arms over her chest. “To put all that effort into changing your color before dying. Unless it is a symptom of their impending death.” She held a finger to her mouth, trying to puzzle out this planet’s latest mystery. She didn’t hear the footsteps behind her.

  
“Ah, there you are, my Pearl.” Pearl startled and turned around, her arms immediately snapping behind her straight back.

  
“Hello, Rose Quartz. I apologize for not being where you needed me.”

  
“No, no. It’s fine.” Rose laughed, warm and sweet like always. “When I told my soldiers to take a day of rest and relaxation, it extended to your duties as well.” She placed her hand over Pearl’s shoulder. “You looked so pensive here. What were you thinking of?”

  
Pearl glanced out to the treeline for a moment before swallowing and shrugging. “Oh I was…thinking of nothing, really. Just how beautiful the scenery on this planet is.”

  
“Yes,” Rose sighed, her shoulders slumping a little. “I do not believe that I will ever tire of it.” Her smile brightened. “But I came here for a reason.”

  
“What do you need?” Pearl’s face was immediately consumed with a warm, doglike devotion. Rose motioned toward Pearl’s hip, where her foil hung.

  
“I thought you would appreciate some more formal lessons in swordsmanship. You have been doing well enough during battles, but your form is—”

  
“Sloppy, yes.” Pearl looked to the ground, fighting back a blush. The truth was, she had had to rely on Rose’s tears or shield for her own survival for the last three battles.

  
“Rough is what I was going to say,” Rose chuckled. “Please, come with me. If you insist on fighting by my side, then you had better be the best fighter you can be.” Her hand slid down Pearl’s arm to take hold of her hand, entwining their fingers.

  
“Yes, Rose. Thank you.”

  
*

Pearl smacked into the marble floor of the training arena. Rose had her sword pointed at her throat. The quartz sheathed the blade before offering a hand. Pearl sighed and accepted the help, hoisting herself to her feet and panting.

  
“You’re doing better.”

  
“No, I’m not.” Pearl stalked over to where her sword lay on the ground. “You have beaten me in every match. I’m a hopeless pupil.” She swiftly sheathed the foil, listening to it clink with finality. “I apologize for wasting your time. We…I should have remembered that I was not made to fight.”

  
“You have not wasted my time.” Rose stepped closer, her skirts brushing against the back of Pearl’s legs. “You could never waste my time, Pearl.” Her warm hands rested on Pearl’s shoulders, rubbing gently across them. Pearl pulled up the corner of her tunic and wiped it across her eyes.

  
“I—I should be able to do this by now, though. I have seen you countless times on the battlefield, and now you have shown me how to do it, and I still—I cannot, Rose. I cannot allow you to spend any more time on this fruitless endeavor.”

  
“My Pearl.” Rose wrapped her arms around the smaller gem, holding her tightly. Pearl’s tears dripped onto her arms. “Pearl, I want to show you something. It is a miracle that this planet provides.” She released Pearl from the embrace and began to walk away from the arena. “Follow me!”  
Pearl took a shuddering breath before hurrying after her.

  
*

  
“Why did you take me back here?” Pearl stood next to Rose Quartz in mild consternation. They were on the same hill from which Rose had retrieved her for her first lessons in swordsmanship weeks ago. Her eyes scraped the treeline, where the branches were already becoming bare.

  
“I told you—I wanted to show you something. Look down here, Pearl.” Pearl quickly obeyed, kneeling beside Rose. She was digging out a small hole in the ground, piling the displaced soil into a neat pile. Then, she brandished something round, small, and light brown in front of Pearl’s face. “Do you know what this is?”

  
“It’s a seed. They are a product of the plant life here.” Pearl looked carefully between the object and Rose’s face. “Right?”

  
“Yes, it is. The seed for a cherry tree, to be exact. Do you know what they’re for?” Pearl bit her lip.

  
“They…are food for birds and mice and many of the smaller animals on this planet.”

  
“Oh. Yes, they do serve that purpose.” Rose’s lips stretched into a smile. “As with many things here, however, it has a variety of uses. Its main purpose is to grow more plants.” She dropped the seed into the hole and scooped the soil back over it. “In order to become another plant, the seed needs many things. Soil. Water.” She packed down the dirt lightly and closed her eyes. A tear welled in her eye and dropped onto the patch of ground, trickling into the dirt. They watched as a small seedling pushed its way up through the ground. Rose turned her head up to the sky. “And sunlight.” Pearl also looked up, shielding her eyes with one hand. She felt Rose Quartz’s hand lay gently over her other hand. “But what it needs most—to thrive to the best of its ability—is for someone to care for it. To guide its growth, to make sure that it keeps getting everything that it needs.” She leaned her forehead against the side of Pearl’s face, whispering to her. “Pearl, I want to be that person for you. Please, just give yourself the time to grow. I will help you along the way, and you will be able to truly fight at my side as my most prized warrior.”

Pearl nodded slowly. “Of course, Rose.”

*

“Oh…Steven.” Pearl hid her mouth behind her hand.

“I’m really sorry, Pearl. I know it was your favorite. I didn’t know Holo-Pearl could do that with a balloon sword.”

The cherry tree lay before them in a catastrophe of snapped branches and crushed petals. Its trunk had been sliced through neatly. Pearl laid a hand on the raw wood, smoothing her palm over its reddish interior. She sighed and sat down on the stump. Steven stood before her, his arms crossed over his chest. She could see the edge of his gem gleaming from beneath his shirt. Pearl forced a smile onto her face.

“It’s…it’s okay, Steven. We can always regrow it.”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know if anyone's done this before, but I was rewatching some episodes and suddenly got this idea. I thought it was sweet, so I decided to write it up really quickly. I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
